Tara iti predator control best practice: A Best Practice Guide for mammalian predator control for tara iti protection
- Author
- Shapiro L, Heaphy K.
- Year
- 2020
- Journal / Source
- Bofrfa Miskell report prepared for The Shorebirds Trust
- Summary
- The New Zealand fairy tern (Sternula nereis davisae), known as tara iti in Maori, is one of New Zealand’s rarest endemic bird species with around 40 individuals and only 8-10 breeding pairs remaining. Once widespread, tara iti is now confined to four to five known breeding sites on the coast of North Auckland; Mangawhai, Pakiri, Papakanui Spit, Waipu and occasional breeding at Te Arai. Its conservation status is therefore listed as “Threatened – Nationally Critical”. Predation (mammalian pests and native avifauna) are amongst the primary threats to the successful management of this taonga species. It is crucial that effective predator control occurs at all sites known to be important for tara iti, and that this control consistently meets current best practice. The purpose of this best practice manual is to provide standardised control and monitoring protocols to improve the protection of tara iti against predation as part of tara iti management programmes, specifically focussing on the effective control of introduced mammalian predators